Digital Commons Network^™

Self-Image Congruence With Communication Channels And Its Impact On Reward Program Loyalty, Orie Berezan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Loyalty programs have become products in and of themselves. They need to maintain member loyalty in order to survive. It is proposed that communication has a larger impact on program loyalty than previously thought. This study utilizes structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the influence of communication typologies and dimensions on hotel reward program loyalty via self-image congruence, service quality, satisfaction, and trust. Moreover, this dissertation presents a communication identity model, which focuses on promoting hotel reward program loyalty via self-congruence with communication channels.

Newly discovered significant paths were found between: communication style and self-congruence with communication channels; self-congruence with …

Taiwanese Willingness To Communicate In English: Can Watching American Television Programs Help?, Yu-Ting Chien

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the relationship between Taiwanese audiences' use of American television programs and their willingness to communicate in English. Taiwanese participants filled out an online survey consisted of questions from uses and gratifications constructs and willingness to communicate constructs. In addition, different subtitle settings were also examined.

Results indicated that participants with high integrative motivation consuming information from American television programs, in addition, the setting of subtitles were associated with perceived communication competence, integrative motivation, language anxiety and social interaction motivation.

Trait Differences In Gender In Technology Use And Study Habits Of Rural Community College Students, Phillip Marc Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to explore the trait differences by gender of the study habits and technology use patterns of rural community college students. Significant research and data presently exists at the university level specific to study habits and technology use, but little research had been conducted targeting those topics in a rural community college setting.

The following questions guided the research:

1. What were the study habits of rural community college students?

2. How did rural community college students use technology?

3. Were there significant differences, by gender, in the study habits of rural community college …

What Is The Participant Learning Experience Like Using Youtube To Study A Foreign Language?, Yuan-Hsiang Lo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research is to explore and understand participants' experience using YouTube to learn a foreign language. YouTube and learning has become more and more popular in the recent years. The finding of this research will be adding more understanding to the emerging body of knowledge of YouTube phenomenon. In this research, there are three interviews and two questionnaires. The interviews are conducted to find in-depth responses from participants; the questionnaires are used to inquire demographic and basic information about the participants. There are twelve themes found in this research. These themes reflect on the perceived experience using YouTube to learn …

How Facebook Friendship Transforms The Superior-Subordinate Relationship: A View From Relational Dialectics Theory, Raquel Hellenga

Masters Theses

This thesis project explores how Facebook friendship transforms the relationship between superior-subordinate dyads in the workplace through the lens of relational dialectics theory. A convenience sample of five superior-subordinate dyads (N=10) was used. Criteria for participation included: the superior must be full time and must be the subordinate's direct superior, the subordinate must work at least part time, both must have worked in the organization for at least three months, and the two must be friends on Facebook who communicate at least weekly through the site. This study utilizes qualitative, face-to-face, in-depth participant interviews. The interview questions are open-ended in …

Can You Get Beliefs From Retweets? An Examination Of The Extended Parallel Processing Model On Social Media, Xialing Lin

Masters Theses

The Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM; Witte, 1992) has been applied as a framework to examine risk information dissemination and effective sensation seeking in various health communication scenarios. Previous studies suggest that it is worth examining whether Twitter could have potential efficacy effects similar to face-to-face interaction or traditional media interventions. Given the overload and discrete information in the medium environment, people would adapt information processing short cuts, to tend to similar perceptions from various sources rather than reading specific messages.

The current study investigates the threat appeal perceptions of EPPM on system-generated and other-generated message cues in social media. …

"Make Over Your Body": Conflicting Messages In Women's Fitness Magazines, Joy Zoodsma

Masters Theses

SHAPE Magazine is a women's fitness magazine that has been consistently popular since its initial publication in 1981. This study explores how the messages of health and beauty in this publication have evolved over the last three decades, especially in response to the cultural imperatives of consumerism and feminism. It critically analyzes the visual and textual messages on SHAPE Magazine covers and in letters from the editor, which offer important examples of the ways in which SHAPE attempts to “hail” readers – to draw them in, to convince them that what the magazine has to offer is relevant to their …

The Value Of Public Relations: Measuring The Success Of Facebook, Twitter, And Youtube In Corporate Companies, Justine Gananian

Journalism

This paper is a combination of research and data from three experts who were interviewed about the value of social in a corporate company, specifically Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Social media’s presence has increased at an exponential pace in the past five years, and consumers are constantly looking to access new information. It has become a useful tool for both internal and external communication within a company. As research shows, “[companies] are revamping and modernizing their print publications, starting radio and video shows, using social media to foster two-way communication, using the new multimedia tools to reach new audiences, telling …

Other And Self-Representation: A Pentadic Criticism Of Kosovar Muslim And Roma Identity As Represented In Photographs By James Nachtwey And Djordje Jovanovic, Melody S. Follweiler

College of Communication Master of Arts Theses

This is an interdisciplinary study that integrates the fields of visual rhetoric, media, and identity. This study seeks to gain a better understanding of photojournalism as the medium of rhetorical messages and communicative power in terms of representing the identity, experience, and perspective of Kosovar Muslims and Roma in Other and self-representations. By applying Kenneth Burke’s theory of dramatism and pentadic criticism, I seek to illustrate and analyze how an outsider, James Nachtwey, uses rhetorical appeals to represent Kosovar Muslims during the Kosovo War of 1999 and how an insider, Djordje Jovanovic, uses rhetorical appeals to represent Kosovar Roma during …

The Forensic Burke: A For(U)Mative Member Of The Parlor, Courtney James Wright

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this study, I detail the forensics education of Kenneth Burke, a leading rhetorical theorist and critic of the twentieth century. After investigating this previously unexamined area, I argue that Burke’s competitive forensics experiences pivotally informed his rhetorical schema. Theoretically guided by Burke’s pivotal term the forensic, I begin by mapping the contours of Burke’s educational biography. Next, I analyze and reconstruct Burke’s forensics education by focusing on the forensic organizations of Peabody High School, Burke’s literary society experiences at Ohio State University and Columbia University, and the literary activities of Greenwich Village. Finally, I proffer connections between forensics …

The Effect Of The Television Viewership On Self-Image And Perception Of The Upper Egyptians Among The Cairenes, Dina Mahmoud Hamed

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Friends Of Hearst Castle: Creating A Social Media Plan Using Public Relations Strategies For A Nonprofit, Amy Jean Checho

Journalism

Nonprofits, like Friends of Hearst Castle, understand the importance of social media use such as Facebook. However, many times Facebook messages are inconsistent and the multiple channels of social media are overwhelming. A Social Media Strategy or Plan can help nonprofits communicate their goals effectively and efficiently, with more success than before. This project discusses the best ways nonprofits can maximize their Facebook usage. Facebook is an easy way for nonprofits to communicate with their target audiences and have consistent communication. Friends of Hearst Castle was the nonprofit I worked with to help create and implement a Social Media Plan. …

How Is The Most Segregated City In The Country Addressing Disproportionate Minority Contact With A Juvenile Burglary Restorative Justice Program And What Implications Exist For Community Based Restorative Circles? : Conflict Analysis And Recommendations, Lauren Thrift

Capstone Collection

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is considered the most segregated city in the country and has the most disproportionate rate of minorities in Wisconsin’s juvenile justice system. The State of Wisconsin recognizes disproportionate minority contact (DMC) is a product of both differential offending by minorities and the racist differential processing by the juvenile justice system. Milwaukee’s residents are locked in a conflict about the role of racism in the high rates of minority crime and whether to address DMC with more stringent punishment or increasing alternatives to incarceration. The entrenched segregation between African American and Caucasian neighborhoods and social groups reinforces polarization, increasing …

Alerting The Public During Food Product Recalls: Social Media's Impact On Organizational Reputation, Salita Demary

Theses and Dissertations

Crisis managers are constantly striving to find the best media outlets to reach the public in the event of a crisis or emergency and still maintain good public reputation. This researcher uses the food industry to examine the impact social media is having on the way the public is gathering news. This researcher will also study generational divides and how news gathering preferences differ among generational groups. This study also investigates the impact social media use has on organizational reputation in a crisis. A focus group and content analysis will serve as this study's qualitative measures and a surveymonkey.com survey …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Nasa Media Relations Strategies And The Relationship To U.S. Space Policy, Julian Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes for this comparative analysis were to (a) compare the efficacy of NASA media relations strategies according to NASA's stakeholders and (b) reveal if these media relations strategies have a causal relationship or correlation with U.S. space policy. NASA employees reflected positive responses to questions related to the efficacy of NASA media relations strategies and the overall communications philosophy of the organization. Journalists who report on NASA through traditional and online channels had mixed responses toward the organizations media relations efforts during crisis situations like the Columbia and Challenger shuttle disasters. However, journalists were very supportive of NASA's dissemination …

The Impact Of Social Media On The Access Of Music Among Rowan University Students, Douglas Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

The study's primary goal was to determine the extent and impact of social media on Rowan University student's access of music. Social media and music have become a significant part of college student life. The vast majority of student age ranges from 18 to 24. The study's secondary goal was to determine if social media has replaced the traditional music label of feature films and whether it affects more males or females in the 18 to 24 year-old demographic. To ascertain both levels of data, the researcher used intercept surveys and questionnaires. The intercept surveys were administered to 400 Rowan …

Teaching Autoethnography, Lauren Ashley White

All Capstone Projects

This project reviews the literature of autoethnography. A syllabus and course materials for a workshop on autoethnographic methods is presented.

Manna From The Glossy Pulpit: Food Advertising In Women's Magazines, Kira-Lynn Reeves

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Women’s magazines reach millions of readers each month, and have been the subject of many academic inquires from media effects studies to feminist analyses. While many studies have investigated female readers’ experience with these texts, or examined the advertising content of women’s magazines, little research to date has focused on food advertising. This liberal feminist critique explores the experience of reading the 2011 issues of the three popular women’s magazines, Glamour, SELF, and Family Circle. Using Stern’s (1996) textual analysis method for advertisements, this study examines how food advertisements in women’s magazines encourage women to think about …

Learning Disabilities And Self-Esteem, Renee I. Pandy

All Capstone Projects

Social acceptance is pivotal in a child's life but it is harder to obtain if one has a learning disability (LD). Individuals with learning disabilities experience being ostracized, ridiculed and labeled as dumb, subnormal and slow learners by their peers. ''Leaming disabilities" is a term that's used to describe different types of learning problems. A learning disability is not a disease. Children with learning disabilities are often stigmatized and associated with failure, which lowers their self-esteem. Academic problems a child with a learning disability may experience can be a constant source of frustration, especially in the areas of reading, math, …

Using Public Relations Techniques To Market Organic Food: Understanding Consumer Buying Behavior, Catherine Girone

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this research were to determine which consumers tend to purchase fresh organic food and which consumers tend to purchase packaged organic food, which type of messaging organic food distributors rely on to entice customers and which messages work most effectively to promote organic food consumption, and which channels different organic consumers use to gain knowledge about organic food. Implications for organic food marketing are discussed.

Public Relations 'Tech'niques: Vocational School Recruitment, Rachel Graeff

Theses and Dissertations

The problem is that the large majority of high school graduates pursue four-year college degrees when there are not enough professional jobs that require four-year degrees but rather require workers to have job-specific skills. These skills are taught by vocational schools at both the high school and the post-secondary levels. The purpose of this study was to determine what public relations techniques vocational schools use and how they can improve on these techniques to increase enrollment. Six in-depth interviews were conducted with PR/marketing practitioners at vocational schools to find out what techniques and channels their school uses to attract students. …

Through A Feminist Lens: Language, Power And Identity In Catalan Nationalism, Christine Gallagher Kearney

College of Communication Master of Arts Theses

The goal for my master’s thesis is to understand how the working class women of Catalunya (specifically women that lived in the small farming villages in the region of Les Garrigues),contributed to the survival of Catalan. Catalunya is an autonomous region of Spain that endured more than three decades of the Francisco Franco dictatorship (1934-1975) that attempted to eradicate the Catalan language and culture. As stated by Everly (2003): “[…] the regional exile of Catalunya from the rest of Spain acts as a backdrop provoking women to go a step further and experiment with their own sense of gender separation …

Free Telecollaboration 2.0 Tools And Activities For Enhancing Intercultural Communicative Competence, Khoi Nguyen Thi Bui

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the effectiveness and relevance of some free telecollaboration 2.0 tools and the IT-HELPS activities to the participants’ enhancement of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in reference to Byram’s (1997) ICC definition and its five principles. In-depth qualitative data were collected from six semistructured interviews with students and teachers of the eight-week online intercultural exchange between a Second Language Acquisition class at Eastern Michigan University in the United States and an English as a Second Language class at Tan Tao University in Vietnam. Despite the failed communication in some collaborative tasks due to some deficiencies in motivating, facilitating, and …

Consumer Perception Of The Efficacy Of Social Media Branding By Non-Profit And For-Profit Organizations, Melissa Novak

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this exploratory investigation were to (a) examine if organizations using social media maintain relationships with their loyal consumers, and do not direct their marketing toward new consumers, and (b) determine if non-profit organizations use social media more effectively and issue stronger call to actions than for-profit organizations. This study includes a survey of 234 participants, a content analysis of ten organizations, and interviews with eight professionals in the marketing and public relations field who work with social media on a daily basis. This study shows that although industry professionals enjoy the vast reach of social media and …

The Effects Of Technology On Interpersonal Relationships Among Rowan University Students Ages 18 - 25, Michelle Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine how young adults are communicating with each other and (b) understand what is driving them to communicate using different methods of communication. After completing a literature review, the researcher conducted primary research using survey instruments and interviews. What people are trying to communicate determines how they are going to relay messages. The urgency of a message affects how respondents answer the message.

Social Media Influence On Evolving Health Care Marketing Communication, Michele Cash

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this investigation were to (a) determine how much of an impact social media has on health communication (b) understand the evolving impact of social media effectiveness and (c) consumer preferences for health care communication. The author conducted both qualitative and quantitative research. This research includes an in-depth interview, a survey and a website content analysis of two health care organizations in the Delaware Valley. This will provide health care organizations with communication techniques to use for current and future consumers. The research revealed that the majority of consumers prefer to hear messages from a trusted source. Both …

“We Have To Record The Downfall Of Tyranny”: The London Times Perspective On Napoleon Bonaparte’S Invasion Of Russia, Julia Dittrich

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"We Have to Record the Downfall of Tyranny": The London Times Perspective on Napoleon Bonaparte's Invasion of Russia aims to illustrate how The London Times interpreted and reported on Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia. This thesis explains how England feared its grip on Europe was slipping away due to a French takeover of the continent. This work details the English struggle in order to provide a broader analysis through a newspaper of how nations indirectly involved in the Napoleonic wars understood the conflict.

The Effect Of Presumed Media Influence On College Athletes, Justin E. Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

In this article, I examine the notion that perceptions of media have a perceived effect on performance and morale on both the athlete and the team. I test this idea on a sample of college athletes at Nicholls State University (N=94), at the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Findings show that the presumed media influence is displayed in the context of athletics and that there are some indirect effects from one's perceptions of how their teammates were portrayed in the media. Research found that positive media had a perceived effect on the team but not on ones' self. Findings …

Interactive Tv News: A New Delivery Method For Broadcast Television News, Trent R. Boulter

Theses and Dissertations

This project looks at the development and use of a new delivery system for broadcast television news and its relation to the Uses and Gratifications and Push/Pull Theories. An in-home study of interactive news was conducted for two weeks, allowing people access to three local and 5 national newscasts via one interactive newscast. Users were able to access the interactive newscast whenever and however they wanted via their television or computer, as long as they had an internet connection. The results of this study show how the system was used,what specific actions were taken, and where the potential lies for …

The Intersection Of Politics And Sports, Alexander Lawrence Curry

Theses and Dissertations

Candidates for public office expend a tremendous amount of time, energy, and financial resources in the hopes of connecting with voters. And because voters differ in their levels of political involvement, candidates need to utilize various avenues to make these connections with the electorate. One way that candidates convey their personal values and characteristics is by showcasing themselves as being involved in and knowledgeable about sports. This thesis utilized an experimental design to analyze whether a candidate's involvement in sports actually has an impact on how voters evaluate the candidate's image. Results indicated that voters' gender, as well as their …